Sirup-charging apparatus



April 30, 1929 c. H. 4MILLER SIRUP CHARGING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 29, y192:5

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iillflllllilllllmwn a mp//MWWW Patented Apr. 30,1929.

UNITED STATES iglltl PATENT OFFICE;

CHARLES HERMAN MILLER, OF CHICAG, ILLlNQS, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGNr MENTS, T0 THE LIQUID CARBONIO CORPOE-AGEGN, F CE'CAGO, ILLINOS, .A COR- PORATION 0F DELAWARE.

SIRUP-CHARGING APPARATUS.

Application led January 29, 1923. Serial No. 615,486.

The invention relates to improvements in apparatus for use 1n bottling works and other places where soda water, and other liquids are manufactured and bottled in preparation' for delivery to customers, and the purpose of the invention is to provide means for measuring and discharging into bottles the sirup or other flavor or extract which is used in the formation of the beverages. rllhe principal object of the invention is to provide improved means for measuring a definite charge of sirup and discharging it into a bottle. A further object is to provide means for .measuring and discharging the sirup through a tube extending through a wall of the containing vessel, without employing any movable parts extending through that-wall. Other objects relating to various features of construction and arrangement will appear more fully hereinafter.

The nature of the invention will be understood from the following specification taken with the accompanying drawings in which one embodiment is illustrated. Fig. 1 of the drawings represents a vertical section through the central part of the apparatus, certain parts thereof being shown in elevation; and Fig. 2 shows afdetail sect-ion on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. j i

As illustrated in the drawings the invention comprises a circular tanker vessel 10 which is adaptedto contain the sirup 11, which is to be measured and discharged into thev bottles. This vessel is mounted on a standard 12 which is capable of being adjusted verticallyA by means of a screw 13 and a hand wheel 14 in order to regulate the height of th-e vessel to permit the fillingof different sizes of bottles. The bottles 15 are mounted on standards 16 carrying suitable devices 17 to engage the lower ends ofthe bottles, and these standards 16 are adapted to be moved vertically in order to bring into communication with the necks of the bottles, the tubes through .which the sirup is discharged from the vessel 10. A series of bottle supports 16 may bedistribu'ted in a circle beneath the sirup containing vessel and a number of discharge openingsmay be provided so that a' plurality of bottles may be charged vwith sirup simultaneously or successively. For the purpose of Vindicating the relative movementsof the bottles with respect to the sirup containing vessel, one of the bottle supports is shown in its lower position while another b ottle support is shown in its uppermost position. In practice it may be preferable to move the bottles upwardly in succession by any Asuitable meansv adapted for that purpose. For example, the movable bottle supports 16 may be plungers mounted in cylinders 17 into which compressed fluid may be introduced through pipes 18 controlled by valve mechanism 19.

The sirup is discharged from `the vessel 10 through stationary tubes 2O which extend downwardly through openings in the depressions 21, which are formed in the lower wall of the vessel. The nuts 22 serve to secure the tubes securely in position so that there is no movement of the tubes with respect to the wall of the tank 10 and no possibility of leakage of the Sirup downwardly around the tubes. y The tubes extend upwardly above the upper level of the sirup yll-and charges of the sirup are measured and discharged into these tubes at their upper ends by means of cups 23. Thesecups are mounted to slide vertically on thereof. The hubs have rubber bushings 2li mounted therein to-provide a. close fit on the hubs. j v

The hubs 24 are provided on their outer sides with annular grooves 25 adapted to be loosely engaged by the forked extremities 26 of the rods 27 which extend vertically at .the

'tiesof the sleeves 30 and the rods 29 extend nwardly through' these sleeves with their:

lower ends vsecured to the blocks 32 which ex- 'tend transversely from these rods and which have openings, therethrough adaptedto permit a sliding engement with the downwardly projecting portions of the tubes 20. A coil spring 33 is mounted on each rod 29 between the nut 31 and the block 32 so that the blocks are normally forced downwardly to the position illustrated at the left side of the drawing,

vthe tubes 20 which pass through the hubs 24 the eXtent of this movement being limited by the engagement of the memberl 28 with the upper end ot the sleeve 30. Each ci the blocks 32 is provided on its under side with a tunnelshaped member 35 adapted to receive the neck oi the bottle when the bottle is thrust upwardly by the movement oi the supporting member 16. A washer 36 ot rubber or the like is mounted at the upper end of the guiding member 35 to engage the end of the bottle around the opening therein and a small bleed hole 3S leads through each block 32 anc through the washer 36 to the open end ot the bottle to permit the air therein to escape as the sirup is discharged into the bottle through the tube 20. When the bottles are moved upwardly by the upward movement ot the supports 16, the bottle necks engage4k the tunnelshaped member 35 adapted to receive the neck of the bottle when the bottle is thrust upwardly by the movement of the supporting member 16. A washer 36 et rubber or the like is mounted at the upper end ot the guicing member 35 to engage the end of the Vbottle around the opening therein and a small bleed hole 38 leads through each block 32 and through the washer 36 to the open end of the bottle to permit the air therein to escape as the sirup is discharged into the bottle through the tube 20. When the bottles are moved upwardly by the upward movement ol the supports 16, the bottle necks engage the tunnelshaped guiding members 35 and the continued movement of the bottle supports causes the blocks 32 to slide upwardly on the tubes until the tubes project downwardly into the bottles as shown at the right hand side ol the drawing. The upward movement oit the blocks 32 carries upwardly the measuring cups 23 through the operation ol' the rods 2'? and 29, and these cups having become filled with sirup when they were immersed in the body oi the sirup in the tank 10, are emptied into the tubes 2O after they have passed above the upper surfaceot the sirup in the vessel to a suflicient degree to bring the upper ends oi the tubes downwardly below the level oi the sirup inthe cups and preferably into the hubs 24 on the under side of the cups, as shown at the right hand side of the drawing. In this way the sirup flows downwardly through the tubes 20 into the bottles 15 and a definite charge or sirup is placed in each bottle without the possibility of any leakage of the sirup occurring from the vessel 10.

The sirup is supplied t-o the vessel 10 through a pipe 40 which extends into a sleeve 41 secured to a cover 42 carried by the brackets 43 which project laterally from opposite sides of the vessel 10. The pil e 40 communicates through a connecting pipe 44 with a chamber 45 which is formed in the cylindrical member 46 secured to the lower end of the connecting pipe. The discharge opening 47 leading from the lower end of this chamber is controlled by a valve 48 having a downwardly projecting stem 49 arranged to be operated by a lever 50 which is pivoted on a bracket 51 and adapted to engage the lower end of the valve stem. T he other end of the lever engages an underssurtace 52 or' a float 53 which rests on the sirup 'l1 in the'containing vessel. When the level ot the sirup falls to a predetermined limit, the float operates the lever 50 to open the valve 43 and permit a further supply oi sirup to tiow into the if'esscl. llhe depressions 2l in the lower wall ot tire vessel are provided with drain cocl s 54 through. which the sirup can be completely drained from the vessel when desired.

Although I have shown and described a single embodiment of the invention for purposes of illustration, it will be understood that it may be constructed in various other terms without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: i

1. In an apparatus of the class described, a vessel 'tor containing sirup, a tube fixed in the wall oi said vessel by a fined fluid tight joint and extending above the level of the sirup therein, a measuring cup slidably mounted on said tube and adapted to discharge its con tents through said tube when elevated above the level of said sirup, means for moving a bottle into communication with said tube on the outer side ot said vessel, a guiding member adapted to be engaged by said bottle and means actuated by said guiding member for moving said measuring cup to its discharging position. A

2. In an apparatus ot the class described, a vessel for containing sirup, a vertical tube extending through the lower wall of said vessel and having a fixed fluid tight joint with said wall, said tube terminating above the level of, the sirup in said vessel, a cup having its lower wall slidably engagedby said tube, a sleeve having a fixed fluid tight joint with the lower wall of said vessel and terminating above the level oi the sirup therein, a rod slidably mounted in said sleeve and connected above said sleeve to said cup, means for moving a bottle into communication with the lower end et said tube, and means actuated by the movement oi said bottle for actuating said rod to elevate said cup into position to discharge its contents into the upper end of said tube. p r A 3. In an apparatus of the class described, a sirup container, an unobstructed conduit leading from an unobstructed outlet above the level ot the sirup in said container to a iilling station and iaving a part thereof tired in the lower wall ot said container, means for moving a vessel to the filling station and into charging position relative to said conduit, means, including a measuring cup movable along said conduit, located in saidcontainer for segregating a predetermined quota from the bod;7 of the sirup therein, and means, including a vessel guide and an actuating arm connected to said cup and guide, controlled by the movement of said vessel for discharging said quota unobstrue-tedly into and through said conduit to the vessel as said cup is raised into communication with said outlet.

4. In an apparatus oit the class described, a sirup container, a conduit leading from an unobstructed outlet above the level of the Sirup in said container to a lilling station and extending through the lower wall of said container and having a iixed fluid-tight joint with said Wall, means for varying the elevation of said lower Wall to vary the discharge end of said conduit, means for moving the vessel to the iilling station and into alignment with the discharge end of said conduit, means, including a cup, normally located Within the body of the fluid in said container' for segregating a predetermined quota from the Huid therein, said cup being slidable along said conduit to said outlet, and actuating means, including a guide and actuating rod associated. therewith, controlled by the movement of the vessel to the illing station for sliding said cup vertically along said conduit to said outlet to discharge said quota through said conduit to said vessel.

CHARLES HERMAN MILLER. 

